Alistair MacLeod's funeral to be held in Cape Breton Saturday

The funeral for award-winning Canadian author Alistair MacLeod will be held this weekend in Cape Breton.

The 77-year-old died Sunday in Windsor, Ont.

MacLeod, considered one of Canada’s great short story writers, was born in North Battleford, Sask. He moved with his family when he was 10 years old to Inverness County, N.S.

He authored two collections of short stories, The Lost Salt Gift of Blood (1976) and As Birds Bring Forth the Sun and Other Stories (1986).

He wrote the novel No Great Mischief (1999), which won the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, the Trillium Book Award and the Lannan Literary Award.

His writing touched on themes of economic migration, family ties and tensions and portrayals of cultural decline. His work often detailed the people and culture of Cape Breton.

MacLeod taught literature and creative writing at the University of Windsor and was retired. He would return to Inverness County during the summer, where he wrote in a cabin looking west towards Prince Edward Island.

In 2008, MacLeod was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada for his commitment to Canadian literature and influence on Canadian authors.

Visitations are being held at the Families First Funeral Home & Chapel in Windsor on Monday and Tuesday.

The funeral will be on Saturday at St. Margaret of Scotland Church in Broad Cove.